Apparatus for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles



Sept. 25, 1934.

A. VARAUD APPARATUS FOR TIMING MECHANICAL FUSES vOF PROJECTILES Filed May 24, 193s Anci/gl Varel/d By Q g Azar,

Patented Sept. 25, 1934 APPARATUS FOR TIMING MECHANICAL Y FUSES F PROJECTILES Andrk Varaud, Geneva, Switzerland Application May 24, 1933, serial No. 612,701 In Switzerland June 5, 1932 e claims. (o1, iso-23,1)

The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for timing projectiles provided with clockwork operated fuses ofthe kind comprising a member for rotating the key of a projectile mechanically connected to a manually operated rotary driving member, the angular displacement of which is limited by a ixed abutment and by a movable stop carried by a graduated dial adapted to be rotated by hand independently of the driv- `1i) ing member and to be immobilized in any angular position, the winding of the power spring of the clockwork and the regulation of the time of ignition of the projectile being effected simultaneously by the rotation of said key,

An object of the invention is to enable mechanical fuses with clockwork action to be automatically timed with great speeds Another object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of "automatically setting the v` timing of any projectile that is introduced into it or that is already there at the instant a ring signal isV given.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the kind in question which auto-A L matically gives a signal to indicate to the gunner that theA setting of :the timing has been come pleted. f

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine "of the kind in question which will automatically re-set the parts to initial po sition as soon as the time setting is completed.

My invention consists in an apparatus for tim' ing mechanical fuses of projectiles characterized by electro-mechanicallyoperated means-for effecting the fixing of the projectile in the` holder provided therefor in the apparatus, the coupling ofthe driving member thereof with the movable and adjustable part of the fuse, the driving of the mechanism in the direction for timing and the replacement of'said'mechanism to zero and by means causingthese operations to occurautomatically in a determined order corresponding to the timing i0 be B-ted.-

l'rho drawing illustrates an example of .con-

struction of the apparatusv Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus partly in horizontal section and inwhich the electric circuits are diagrammatically indicated.

Fig, 2..,is `a detail diagram oi the electric drive, The apparatus represented is composed of a box l, inside which are the usual members of a timing apparatus, namely" i A toothed wheeI 2 carrying a mobile abutment not illustrated which lov the hand wheel 3, through the intermediary of` a Worm gear e, con

be brought into the timing position corresponding to the indications of an indicator 5, f-

A toothed wheel 6 carryingV an abutment, also. not illustrated, which is intended to move between a xed abutment not illustrated andthe abut- 69 ment of the wheel 2, the angle through which it moves determining theA number of revolutions which it, through the agency of a toothed. wheel '7, causes a shaft 8 to act on the winding means of the clockwork of the fuse the position of whichl together with that of the projectile is represented at9 in broken lines, K l

Contrary to the known apparatus, the driving o f the toothed wheel A6 is effected by means of an,` electric motor -10and fof a driving` chain 11 con' necting said motor to .said ytoothed wheel by means of corresponding toothed pinions. In o1'- der togive ilexibility to this drive, shock alcsorbing springs, such as 12, are inserted between the central shaftl moved rby the chain 11 andthe F toothed Wheel 6, such a coupling being suiiiciently known not to need describing in detail.

The projectile 9 can be introduced Vinto the apparatus into asocket provided for' that pur pose, while the projectile canl be' pressed` therein su by anl eccentric 13 and the end 14 of thefuseis gripped by any driving member 15 also not forming part of the invention.

VTheV eccentricl and the driving memberlintended to couple thehshaft 8 to the end 1 4 of 85 the fuse are connected together by a set of levers 16, 17, 18 so provided that by acting onl the lever 1 3 so .as to rotate it anticlockwise one simultaneously applies thedriving member15 against the end 14 of the fuseand the eccentric 13 against 90v the body of the projectile, the movement of the f lever 18 inthe direction indicated being effected, by moans of a/plunger 19 adapted to be attracted byv a coil 20. As represented, the eccentric 13, therdriving member 15, the levers 16, 17, 18 and 95, the plungerw are in the timing position, that is to say inthe position-in which the projectile is immobilized in the apparatus and the end 14 of the fuse gripped ,and drawn by the member 15,. In this position the coil V20 is electriied, a spring 2l drawingthe plunger core 19 therefrom as soon as it ceases to be electrified, thus releasing the body of the projectile andthe end of the'v fuse,

The motor 10 possesses 'three terminals, one, 22, for the arrival of the current which a con-A ductor conveys at 23 from the post of control, two others, 24, 25 for the departure of the current, one of them, l24: corresponding to a directionpof working of the motor, which I will call the direcf-v tiony of replacement at zero, and the other, 25, to

ythe opposite direction, which I will call kthetirn-y ing direction. .These two terminals 24, 25 can ybe connected by means ofy two' conductors 26 and 27 and an abutment 28 of the :plungeicore to the massv of ythe apparatus, Which, as indicatedr at 29, constitutesa'retu'rn to earth. f Y.

But a current issued from the post ofk direction through the intermediary ofthe arrivalftermipassing 'through a conductor 3Q, ar'contactk 31 which will be referred' to further or'na conductorA` y32, a iring-signali33, a conduotor34, y.the coil 20% and a conductor 35 allowing' of areturn-Qtojearth' through the intermediary of the bodyr oi the pro- Y' jectile, Whenk such aV projectile is in `its pla'ce f f directionis reversed. v

The ifing vsignal being maintained,y if a pro kjectile is introduced into the'apparatus,:it;re-k

inl the 'timing apparatus.,Y

, The contact 31,'very rslightlyindicatedirrFigr f 1 in order 'not tolover'crowd the drawing, is shtvn more yindetail inFig.r 2,; V`In this figure is found .fthe 'endless' yscreWi. Yand vthe toothed j'wheel 2'y which it actuate's with its movable 'abutmentd f the toothed wheel 6 yactuated by the motor an`d carrying an abutment 37 intended tomove bee;k tween rthe fixed' abutment 38 of thefrarne, rWhichr kservest asi zero, and the movable abutment y36y ofthe 'wheel 2, which determines thegdisplaeementthereoflnecessary to a given timing.fThe 'abutment 3'? Vfurther comprises a finger 39 *LofV f an armature', which is connected-by'means oa i ringl40 and of ra correspondingbrush, tothe conev i ductor 32 for example,-'Conni-:c,tingv itfto the signal y'33, Whereas the other armature 4l yisi connected by a ring 42 and a lcorresponding brush? to' the; y conductorrSO." The armaturaftowhich the fingery vr+39 is "secured,v is yformedjof 'f aA springii. Itis 1,

` easily seen lthat by displacing the wheel'd'and the members carriedlby` it in .the clockwise direc; tion with regard to Fig. 2i,`the finger. 39` willat a given momentencounter the 'abutment 36,

thus immobilizing the armature 43, the iie'xibilityV Vof which will still allow theyvheel 6 to continue its course by separating the armature 411y from the armature 43, that is tofsayibybreaking,- If rotatedv 38 and the abutment 36, the members'constitut-- ing the abutment and the-contacts of the whee 6 will keep the circuit 30, 32 closed.

The operation of the apparatus just described is as follows:-

The apparatus being at rest, that is to say nol projectile being introduced therein and the abutments 37 and 38 touching each other, themembers are said to be atnzero. If, at this moment, the indicator 5 actuated from the post of direc'-` tion indicates a timing'value through'the displacement of an index giving ameasurement of the displacement which the abutment 3 6 of' the Wheel 2 is to be made to perform, it suflices for the gunner of the apparatus to displace the abute ment to the extent indicated, by actuating to this eiiect the hand wheel 3. the timing apparatus constantly regulatedf'in correspondence with the momentary timing value which is transmitted4 to him. "f g f At the moment that the timing'V is to be lef-v fected, which moment corresponds, in'a quick nring, to the moment of the 'signal to ii're,7a

"'- -(b Circuitincluding the terminal In doingso, he keepsV current is sent intothe apparatus by means ofy thel terminalZB yand into the. two following circuitsz (d) Circuit including'they terminal 23,y ythe terrminal 22, theconductordthe contacts 31, the

conductor 32, the nre; signal33, thcconductor 34,V the coil .20, theconductor 35 and the earth, under the condition that there is a projectile in theV apparatus. :If there lis no projectile in ythe apparatus this circuit ythen ,isr ropen.y

23, the ter-r mina-1.22,: the motor 10, the terminal. 24, the cony n ductor: 261,;fthe abutment 28 of thcplunger core 23 yand the earth, said circuit corresponding to the'directionof action of the motor, called return'to zero, the purpose of which direction being te apply, theabutment 3,7 of 'theywheel e against sults in .a 4closing or; the f circuit y previously styled a, and this throughthe contact at the mass cre'-l atedby the rojectile by means; of the conductor and the* plunger core .'19 is attractedinto the ther driving member of timing l15. kButat the sametime, theabutment 2,8 of the plungercore v.positiony represented. rThe projectilel immedi-- i ately'lockedzby Vthe eccentricl and gripped by.r

19 breaks the motor-circuit passing through they f conductor 26, in .order to: close afresh motor :of the timing, Vthat is to say the .direction in which the abutment 3'?7 of zthek toothed :Wheel (ir quits Ithe fixed abutment 38iof'the frame and acf tuates the shafts and the,v driving member l5 inthe'direction Where2 the fuse is timed; lThis circuit of reversed Working through the conductor. l y f f 27,."2Themotor starts'to 'rotate in the direction 7 movement'continues'until'the instant thatfthe linger 39 touching the mobile abutment 36, the armatures 41, 43 "are separated from each other, which amounts to saying that the contacts 31 of Fig.l vl open the circuit feeding the coil 20. This circuit being opened, the plunger core 19 Yceases to be attracted and the spring 21 restoresY it tof its startiiigposition Where its abutment 28 breaking itsscontact with'the vconductor 2'7 reeestabf Vlishes .the earthing of the conductor 26, at the same time that the projectile is released and can be extracted, the re signal being extinguished to indicate' that the timing is terminated.

At this moment the projectile. is withdrawn, Whilst the motor l0, Whose circuit passing through the terminal 24 and conductor 26 is closed, begins to rotate in the direction contrary to the direction of the timing and returns the Wheel 6 tozerol A vThe returnr-toV zero of the'wheel 6 produces the closing 'of the contact 31 and if the signal given by thepost of direction persists, that is to sayif the firing is to continuait suiiices'to introduce a fresh projectile into the apparatus inorder that the loperations justv described may' begin again. v vIfV at the moment when the 'iiring signal is given, a projectile is already in its placein the apparatus, the 'operations' described are immediatelydisengage'd, as the circuit'passing through the conductor 35 and the Vprojectile is closed from the moment that thering signal is started. As can; be understood .the apparatus described enables the mechanical fuses with clockwork acl-V tion' to betimed Withl great speed and its working fico l 35. The signal lights up, the lcoilLO `is .electried y f is automatic, seeing that it times any projectile that is introduced into it or that is already there at the moment When the ring signal is given, and that this signal is automatically extinguished in order to show the gunner that the projectile is timed when this operation is terminated. Finally the apparatus returns to Zero as soon as the timing is terminated.

One will therefore preferably employ the apparatus While constantly leaving therein a projectile in timing position, so that the order given from the post of direction may be immediately perceived through the illuminating of the signal, the timing being then effected Without loss of time. It is clear, on the other hand, that the gunner having at his disposal after timing for extracting the projectile only the time taken by the members of the apparatus to stop and change their direction so that he must proceed with this operation Without delay at the instant that the iiring signal is extinguished.

It must be added that the motor l0 should be of a type, capable of maintaining the Wheel 6 at zero, and of remaining under tension Whilst still being immovable, said motor however does not have to perform a large number of revolutions on itself, but at the most only one or two revolutions, so that it should be constructed as a servo-motor capable of instantaneously furnishing a relatively powerful couple. The action of such a servo-motor is therefore as it were instantaneous, that is to say that either the timing, or the return to zero, is eiected in a fraction of a second separated by the short instant arising from the inertia of the masses in action.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. Apparatus for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, comprising a projectile holder, means for locking the projectile in operative position in said holder, a driving member adapted to be coupled with the fuse to set the timing thereof, means including an electromagnet for actuating the locking means and the coupling of the drivingA member with the fuse, an electric motor adapted to drive said member, means controlling the amount of drive of said member, and an electrical system in which said electromagnet and motor are connected and including movable contacts operated by the electromagnet and the motor for determining actuation of the locking means, coupling .of the driving member, driving of the same in the timing direction, and restoration of the apparatus to initial condition, in proper sequence.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the electromagnet has an armature mechanically connected to the projectile locking means and the drive member, and including a spring tending to hold said armature in projectile releasing position and to retract the drive member from the fuse.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the electromagnet has its energizing coil arranged in a circuit oi the electrical system containing a contact which is closed by inserting a projectile in the holder and also containing a kmovable Contact which is opened by the electric motor when the timing of the fuse is completed.

4. Apparatus for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, comprising a projectile holder, means for locking the projectile in operative position in said holder, a driving member adapted to be coupled with the fuse to set the timing thereof, means including an electromagnet for actuating the locking means and the coupling of the driving member with the fuse, an electric motor adapted to drive said member, means controlling the amount of drive of said member, an electrical system in which the energizing coil of the electromagnet and the motor are connected, said system including movable contacts operated by the electromagnet and a movable contact which is opened by the electric motor when the timing of the fuse is completed, and a signal device in series with said last-mentioned contact, said contacts determining actuation of the locking means, coupling of the driving member, driving of the same in the timing direction, signaling the completion of timing, and restoration of the apparatus to initial condition, in the proper sequence.

5. Apparatus accordingg to claim 1, in which the electric motor is rotatable in two directions to efect the time setting and the restoration, respectively.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the electromagnet carries a movable contact on its armature adapted in one position to close a circuit of the electrical system for driving the motor in time-setting direction when the operations of locking the projectile in the holder and the coupling of the driving member to be fused are terminated, and in another position to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor when the projectile has been released and the driving member disengaged from the fuse.

ANDR VARAUD. 

